The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has directed that Kudumbasree workers who remove waste from the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) premises here should be given all Onam benefits due to them.
Commission acting chairperson P. Mohandas was acting on a complaint by human rights activist P.K. Raju that salary arrears, advance, and bonus for Onam was being denied to the workers.
Mr. Mohandas also sought a report from the Health Secretary, MCH Principal, hospital Superintendent, and the District Labour Officer within two weeks.
Kudumbasree workers cleaned bathrooms and toilets in the hospital wards, drains on the hospital campus, and the mortuary.
Half a month
They received work for only half the days in a month, and were paid below ₹350 a day. At the same time, staff from employment exchanges, hospital development committee, Janasree, and those working for daily wages were paid around ₹600 a day for the same work.
If the workers complained, they stood to lose their jobs, the complaint said.
